Taylor Long - Page 4

It's the type of humour that makes your gut ache from both laughter and contemplation. Second City is presenting their new mainstage revue, TITLE OF SHOW, a sketch comedy piece incorporating music, dance?, and of course, face-melting comedy. The ensemble tackles everything from Weight Watchers, to Google Home, to an exploration of how everything ultimately relates to the musical, CATS.

From April 10th-12th, two-time Tony Award-nominee Stephanie J. Block will join the Toronto Symphony Orchestra, Broadway star Ramin Karimloo and conductor Steven Reineke to present ON BROADWAY, an evening of Broadway's greatest hits at the Roy Thomson Hall in Toronto! BroadwayWorld's Taylor Long sat down with Stephanie ahead of her upcoming concert with the TSO.

This must be one of the prettiest shows for the stage. AN AMERICAN IN PARIS, currently being presented at Mirvish, will have you shaking your head in wonder at Bob Crowley's imaginative set design and Christopher Wheeldon's breathtaking direction and choreography. The musical, inspired by the Academy Award-winning motion picture with Gene Kelly and Leslie Caron, features the sublime music and lyrics by George and Ira Gershwin. Although the performances are tremendously uneven, the musical is a feast for the eyes that is an unmissable theatrical attraction in Toronto.

Take an exclusive first listen to the standout Act 2 ballad "Wherever You Go, I Will Go", from the Canadian musical comedy RUMSPRINGA BREAK! by songwriting duo Colleen & Akiva.

'The world's best a capella and beatboxing show,' delivers less energy than you'd think. Touring North America, GOBSMACKED is a collection of mainstream hits all performed completely a capella - like a live version of 'Glee' with less musical theatre. Individually the performers are wonderfully talented, but the collaborative team effort struggles to produce enough energy to make the show a hit.

FUN HOME, the musical that swept the 2015 Tony Awards is coming to Canada - and BroadwayWorld has photos from the first rehearsal! The Musical Stage Company will present FUN HOME from April 13 - May 6, 2018 as part of the Off-Mirvish Subscription Series at the CAA Theatre (formerly the Panasonic).

I would watch a Ravi Jain directed production of the phone book. ANIMAL FARM, presented by Soulpepper, is an adaption of George Orwell's famous novel by Canadian playwright Anthony MacMahon. Jain and MacMahon design a campy, satirical world for the farm animals, using humour as a reel to hook the audience into deeper discussions about humanity and society. It's persuasive, troubling, and honestly funny.

'That's not what happened.' Soulpepper's IDOMENEUS tells the story of a famous Greek myth - but plays with the mode of storytelling to create something remarkable. Roland Schimmelpfennig's modern play comes to life in a timeless zone of monochromatic universality in Alan Dilworth's production, designed by Lorenzo Savoini. Using a chorus of voices, the narrative weaves between past and present, fact and fiction - presenting themes that resonate not only within the world of Soulpepper, but within the world at large.

Tchaikovsky's exquisite score meets Nureyev's exhilarating choreography in a sensational grand ballet experience. The National Ballet of Canada brings back their celebrated production of Tchaikovsky's THE SLEEPING BEAUTY, choreographed by the late Rudolf Nureyev. A dancer himself, Nureyev's creative stamp on the piece expands the already technically challenging choreography originally created by Marius Petipa - adding depth to the Prince's role with variations of amplified difficulty. Even the most ardent ballet critic is sure to be impressed by the extreme athleticism required to dance this production.

Slip into a painting. Slip into the life of a man. Slip into nature. MADE IN CANADA stimulates the imagination with a program of three invigorating Canadian ballets - Robert Binet's The Dreamers Ever Leave You, James Kudelka's The Four Seasons, and Crystal Pite's Emergence. This program offers something for everyone from classical choreography, to contemporary and everything in between.

'It's a dream come true,' says dancer Brendan Saye. Recently promoted to First Soloist, Saye will be making two role debuts this season with the National Ballet of Canada - the Lead Man in James Kudelka's 'The Four Seasons' (part of 'Made in Canada') and Prince Florimund in Rudolf Nureyev's production of Tchaikovsky's 'The Sleeping Beauty'. Talking to BroadwayWorld.com's Taylor Long, Saye discusses his love for Riverdance as a child, the illness that forced him to take a two-year break from dancing, and the special place 'The Four Seasons' holds in his heart.

The Toronto Production of Come From Away opened February 13th at the Royal Alexandra Theatre. Come From Away tells the heartwarming story of the thousands of travelers who were forced to land in Gander, Newfoundland during 9/11, and the Newfoundlanders who opened their hearts and homes to them. 

Stop the world. COME FROM AWAY has come home. With a book, music and lyrics by Irene Sankoff and David Hein, COME FROM AWAY is one of the biggest Canadian musicals of all time. For any of you thinking you'll miss the original cast - be anxious for nothing - the first Canadian cast does not disappoint.  

In Mike Bartlett's play, Queen Elizabeth II has just died. As fascinating as it may be to imagine the future, Studio 180's production of KING CHARLES III, directed by Joel Greenberg, is a drab view of a very pessimistic future.

If you've ever lost someone you loved, you know how uniquely devastating the experience can be. In Jordan Tannahill's stage creation, DECLARATIONS, we see the raw product of that pain delivered through the fascinating mind of Tannahill and his five dancers.

Compared to the in-your-face absurdity of November's 'The Goat, or Who is Sylvia?' A DELICATE BALANCE displays a softer, more subtle Albee without softening the devastating impact. Directed by Diana Leblanc, Soulpepper's production simmers-exploring dysfunction through the lens of characters that are grounded in reality.

I'll start by saying that LEAR was one of the most powerful theatrical experiences I've ever had. Led by a cast of Shakespeare professionals, with vast Stratford Festival experience, Groundling Theatre's production is a polished, compelling piece of theatre. Dropping 'King' from the title, LEAR explores the play with a female in power - entrapping us with the familiarity of a female monarch. Every aspect of Graham Abbey's production, designed by Peter Hartwell, serves a contemporary emphasis, seducing a modern audience to deeply feel and deeply connect with the humanity that can often feel very distant in Shakespearean drama.

Podium Concert Productions, led by producer Peter da Costa and music director Mark Camilleri, presents high-calibre concert versions of musicals. Their second production, NINE IN CONCERT, was just that, a mostly high-calibre production featuring a cast of prominent Canadian talent, and a rare opportunity to see a rarely-produced show.

After the success of last year's inaugural show, THE SECRET GARDEN IN CONCERT, Podium Concert Productions returns to present NINE IN CONCERT on January 12 and 13, 2018 at Trinity-St. Paul's Centre for the Arts. BroadwayWorld's Taylor Long chats with director Tim French, Stratford Festival-favourite Juan Chioran who is playing Guido, and Tracy Michailidis who is playing Guido's wife, Luisa Contini.

Dr. Seuss' pro-environmental tale, THE LORAX, is on stage at Mirvish's Royal Alex Theatre. As the voracious villain, the Once-ler, Simon Paisley Day helps bring the popular children's story to life in a colourful stage spectacle. Simon Paisley Day took some time to answer a few questions from BroadwayWorld's Taylor Long about performing for kids, working with puppet co-stars and the impact of this morality musical.